Parasitic
by Assassination
Summary: The infection is spreading like a disease that won't quit until it has consumed and taken over everything. It's only been a few weeks and not one sane person has stayed in a zone with a HIVE. Well, anyone who was truly sane wouldn't.
1. meeting

**Assassination note: I would like to thank my good buddy xXSMiZXx for motivating me to finish typing the first chapter and showing me a song that made this idea come to be- 'cause I thought it was crap and all that other stuff when I started and...yeah. Anyway, hope those who bother to read enjoy. (and anon. reviews are allowed...just so you know...)**

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><p>He was standing near the edge of a cliff, staring forth while lifting his arms and his hands gripping the fabric of his hood. It was damp due to the fact that it had been raining, the weight upon his person heavier than before seeing as the cloth was dense before and now it was worse.<p>

Though he took a step toward the edge, wondering how he got there. What the purpose was of doing this, looking out at the vast amount of water displayed before him. The rain obscured his vision while he cocked his head back at the sound of thunder.

_What am I doing...?_ crossed his mind, pondering why and how he got to this point in the first place.

It all started with a simple, vital, mistake. Then his rank was stripped from him, needing to assassinate certain Templar leaders whom spoke, worded riddles that clouded and haunted his mind, soon hearing that his mentor was one of his enemies. He did not want to believe it, he wished he could have plainly ignored it and not have confronted him.

Alas that was not the kind of man he was, and so he had to kill his teacher and assume the Grand Master position himself. He's then rebuilt the Creed, making it better, more efficient, a while later marrying and having children.

He'd watched them be born, grow, he trained them personally. And now he was the ripe old age of sixty, staring down at the roaring waters that crashed and assaulted the cliff's walls.

Taking his hands down from his hood the old man stared down on them, watching as they reverted back to his youth. The man blinked slowly, clenching then unclenching his hands.

His lovely wife had died a few years previous, his children now had children of their own, even his best friend had departed from this world.

He took a step forth. _Why am I doing this? Is it worth it? No...no...this is wrong...stop._ Yet he kept walking forth, closing his eyes on the last step.

The wind caressed his falling form, arms spread out and his grey hair slowly shifting back to chocolate, the wrinkles that marred his face fleshed out and skin became taut.

_Why do I feel so -_

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><p>A man jerked up into a sitting position, honey spheres widened. His left hand pressed against his chest, panting with a shaken look on his face. Slowly he curled his fingers while shuddering and taking in quick inhales of air.<p>

For the past few days he'd been having similar dreams to that, always with that man - whoever that is - walking off the edge of a high point over water. Though when he noted how the man's physical stature was...

It seemed so eerily familiar to his own.

Though that was crazy, insanity. He had never thought of committing suicide, or even wearing such garbs as the man within his dreams had. Never.

Closing his eyes he reached his right hand up to brush sweat drenched bangs out of his face before lowering both hands and moving to stand with a soft exhale.

Letting his eyes slide open the brunet began to get ready for his day, reaching down to lift the white - now as soaked in sweat as his hair - t-shirt and tossed it atop the covers to his bed then moved to remove his sleeping shorts.

Turning he moved over to his dresser, gripping the silver handles, pulling back so his elbows bent revealing a variety of clothes, confined within the first drawer. Reaching in he pulled out a pair of baggy jeans, a plain blue shirt and black boxers.

Setting the clothing choice for the day down he began the process of getting dressed...

Ignoring the sounds of terrorized screams and shrills from whatever it was that was in the area of where he lived now.

_...I'm used to it..._ he reminded himself, just like every day. _One day there's a HIVE then the next there's a BASE.__ As long as I'm not 'infected' then I'll be left to live another day..._

Once dressed he trailed over to the bedroom door, reaching to the side and grabbing his hoodie, yanking it on then the pistol on his dresser. Gripping the handle he twisted it and opened it with an emotionless look as he rose said gun to shoot a blood covered person between the eyes.

The woman's face pulsed, an ugly shade of purplish-pink glowing then fading in color before it dulled entirely.

_I deal with this every day. An infected gets into the house, I shoot it..._ Lowering his arm he moved over to where his bag resided, eyes half-lidded as he looked up at the pictures decorating the walls. Looking at one in particular.

'Wish you were here, Altair~' was written on the image of his girlfriend, the last thing he'd gotten from her before hearing that she'd been killed by some drunk driver.

Though he'd done some digging and found it was an infected man who had done it. It was a wonder how he became so silent and simply did the 'shoot on sight' whenever he caught sight of anything that stumbled about with a pulsing feature.

Letting out a sigh Altair bent down and gripped the strap to his bag and slipped it onto his shoulder with half-lidded eyes, pocketing his gun before moving over to the door, opening it. Glancing back to look about the house once more before stepping out and shutting the door.

_And now all that I do is go through the infected areas in search for food, since the BASEs have become very few in the past few weeks._ Stepping down the steps he rose a hand and shoved an infected aside when they darted in his direction, twisting himself once he had a good grasp on their face and shoved them behind himself.

A sickening 'crack' sounding behind himself before raising his hands to grip the hood to his white jacket, hoisting it over his head to obscure the view of his eyes before stepping out into the 'light'.

According to the news the main reason - the one to blame - for this 'outbreak' was a man by the name of Alex Mercer. Personally Altair couldn't blame this 'monster' for doing what he'd done, for whatever reason, but for it to take away his dear Maria...

Pushing the thought aside the hooded man shook his head and turned the corner, walking through Upper Eastside with a soft sigh as he glanced around. This was once a nice place to live, now it was covered and painted in blood and gore. Flesh hung from certain areas, corpses with tattered clothing.

He remembered when he'd moved there, when it was lively and all was as peaceful as it could be.

_I can't say I blame that Mercer person for what he'd done, releasing Greene and then most of the population being infected._ Altair turned to glance over his shoulder once he heard a feral growl. Only to see what he'd been seeing plenty of times._ A 'Hunter,' again...third time this week..._

It scared his friends - who were once alive - that he'd taken this so well, that he hadn't panicked and that he'd agreed with this happening as if it was only natural.

But these 'Hunters' were just getting annoying.

Slowly he reached for his pistol, furrowing his brows before his eyes darted to the side to see a small child stumble. Soon seeing a first stage infected chase after the tyke. Gritting his teeth he ran forth, toward the Hunter before dropping and skidding under the beast.

Honey-brown spheres flickered before he twisted himself to get on his stomach, pushing up and hurrying towards the screaming girl who was screaming, "Mama! Mama!"

Biting his lower lip he veered over his shoulder to see the large infected regain its senses from the sudden escape its prey had made and bounded toward him with its mouth parted with a shriek, one that had the tanned man cringe before looking forth.

To then see that the child had been grabbed and was squirming to escape the human-like thing's grasp.

Finally reaching into his pocket he whipped his gun out and placed his right hand under the handle, closing his right eye and aiming before pulling the trigger.

A loud bang and screech rang about the area, the child being dropped, hiccupping and rubbing her eyes with her small balled up fists. Letting out a quick, relieved, exhale before turning smartly on his heel and pumping a few rounds into the 'Hunter' and watched as the beast's blood spattered and spread about on the streets.

Letting his shoulders fall lax Altair swallowed before panting softly. Damn the crashes that happens to a body after the adrenaline kicks in and goes away.

Turning his gaze back to the child the hooded male moved over, crouching down to her level and offering her his hand. "...hey, it's safe now."

Her head rose, looking hopeful before her green hues widened in horror, tilting her head back to stare up at the roof of a building. Black pigtails falling back and raising a hand to point up at said structure.

Glancing over his shoulder Altair's eyes locked onto a figure on the roof.

Tall, a brown hoodie, leather jacket, white shirt, simple denim jeans, normal black shoes...

But he noticed those icy eyes staring back at them, trendils swarming over the man's arms to form claws before he leapt down and landed with a cloud of dust surrounding him a mere second after impact.

Lowering his sights Altair noted the crater that formed where the man now stood, and rose his sights to look the other in the eyes with his own narrowing. Reaching for the child the brunet pulled her close while moving to stand.

"...drop the kid."

The hooded man blinked and looked down at the frightened toddler, seeing tears form in her eyes. Of course, this was the infamous _Bio-weapon_ wasn't it? Returning his attention to the other the tanned male scowled.

"No. She has done nothing to you, neither have I, now leave us be." was all he gave as a response while tightening his hold reassuringly on the trembling form. "If you don't I'll make you leave."

A tisk came as a reward to his threat, the man moving forth with slow, confident, strides. Whatever this man wanted with the child it didn't seem pleasant, especially with the murderous aura emitting from him.

Even when an infected human stumbled toward him from the side the shapeshifting man simply swung his hand to the side and cleaved it cleanly in half.

When a claw reached for the child the girl slammed her eyes shut. "MOMMY!"

_Bang._

Altair held his pistol up, eyes narrowed and seemed unphased even when he watched the man's arm shift from what had been claws to a shield then back to a normal - human - arm.

"...I warned you," he simply stated.

A furious look was on the pale man's face, his eyes showed it more than his face, which had Altair almost falter in his threatening pose. Holding the child in one arm and standing with that side away from the other.

"You'll regret this, you little ass." was growled before the hooded man turned and ran towards a building wall then up it before jumping, flipping, then landing on his two feet and sauntering off.

_That was the first day I met the 'number one terrorist'._

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><p>Took me down to the river<br>So I could drown, drown, drown**  
>(Goin' Down, Three Days Grace)<strong>

**extra note: Altair may seem a bit out of character - and so may Alex - I'm replaying AC (AGAIN) and began playing [Prototype] so...yeah... And I planned for Alty to be this way for a reason so please do have patience with me...  
><strong>


	2. daily miracle

**Assassination's Note: This chapter may seem a little fast-paced...I couldn't get the images that were in my head down, that and I was stuck on this chapter for some reason for DAYS. So I guess what I got down will have to suffice for the time being...  
>Hope you enjoy.<br>**

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><p>It had been an hour or two after the confrontation with the 'terror of New York,' and Altair had yet to get the child to speak or even get her name. As if just seeing Mercer had knocked her off her rocker and she was now in recovery mode. Either way the hooded man didn't plan on leaving her to fend for herself.<p>

She was but a child, who else would be kind enough to save her if she were to get in trouble again.

Still he had to call her something to get her attention so she would continue to follow, and so now the tanned male was calling her 'Ahda.'

"Ahda,"

The raven haired child rose her head and jogged to keep up, her saggy pink, long-sleeved, shirt's sleeves bobbing at the action while her creme colored skirt fluttered about behind her. Though for a while now she had been stumbling due to a cut on her right calf. It had been there for who knows how long which in the process has caused a major delay in getting things done. The duo hadn't even reached the halfway point to a convenience store.

Reaching into his back pocket he pulled out a watch, feeling his lips turn downards even farther when he saw that it was nearing twelve.

Placing the device back into his pocket he twisted to face the girl whom possessed a faraway look in her emerald spheres whilst peering up at her savior. Crouching down Altair moved his arms out, coiled them around her and lifted the youngster up. Holding onto her with a soft exhale.

"...will you tell me your name now?"

She rose a hand and began to chew on her nails in a nervous manner, even nipping the skin. Raising one of his own Altair took hold of the child's and pulled it away from her mouth with slanted brows. He was worried, this young one hadn't said a word after they were left to be when the brunet shot the virus. But how cold those blue hues were caused the man to shudder at the remembrance of how deadly they appeared, the pure anger and thirst for vengeance had been clearly displayed.

Perhaps he even noticed a slight tint of hurt when the smoke from the gunpowder cleared...

...no, he was imagining things.

There wasn't a chance in Hell that a person who set a woman bent on infecting anything she touched free would ever care about what happened to anyone unless they could be used as a pawn to get one step closer to what he wanted. Whatever that was Altair didn't care. No two ways about it.

_Wait - why am I thinking about Mercer like that?_ Honey-brown hues widened and loosened his hold on 'Ahda''s hand, blinking once she tugged on his hoodie.

"Ahda... Ahda."

Altair blinked, "No, I call you that because you didn't tell me -"

"Ahda."

Blowing air out the side of his mouth he simply shook his head before readjusting, who he now knew as, Ahda in his arms. Seemed as if the name was going to stick until she told the tanned male otherwise. Until then, 'Ahda' it was.

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><p>Eventually they'd made it to the store with no problems besides a few infected people and some second stagers. So far no more 'Hunters' or even a 'Leader Hunter.' Which he was pleased about the latter seeing as he'd seen how much effort it took to kill those things with just bullets.<p>

To see the BLACKLIGHT kill one - the man doubted he wanted to witness such a feat.

"Ow..." Ahda sniffed, curling up into a ball within his arms. Blinking Altair glanced down, seeing that Ahda placed her right hand atop her calf, which had blood slowly bubbling over and dripping to stain her skirt.

He would have inspected closer if she hadn't started whimpering and pressing against him with fear in her eyes. The consistent fear that something bad may happen and she'd never live to see another sunset or sunrise. Though he didn't plan on letting that happen.

So, he set her down near a register and bent down, reaching into his bag and pulling out a chef's knife. Carefully handing it to her, watching as she took with with uncertainty in her eyes, clumsily taking it with trembling hands. Once she had a good grasp on it the tanned man placed his hand on her shoulder. "If someone comes too close, stab them. Unless it's me...and I'll prove it's me by saying your name, okay?"

Shakily the girl nodded.

Reaching the hand from the shoulder to rest atop her raven strands Altair rubbed it gently. "Good girl." Moving to stand he then turned and ventured further into the store. His hand reaching for his pistol, clasping his hands over it and holding it to his side as he pressed his back against a container, slowly peering around the edge. Nothing.

Moving away from the wall he strolled over to the end, glancing about whenever the tanned male could have sworn he heard a sound. Only to see nothing. It was rather unnerving to say the least, seeing as he'd grown so used to 'Hunters' or infected charging at him without warning. Not what was occurring now, such silence besides his own footsteps, breathing, and his bag rubbing against the fabric of his jeans.

Releasing a heavy breath and letting his right hand release the gun, bringing it up to push his hood back. Light brown strands shifted back then forth once more at the motion before honey-brown hues glanced to the side while narrowing and furrowing his brows. It made no sense, as to how it was so silent.

As if everything had lost an interest in him and the child.

Turning his attention to the isles' shelves he grasped the flap to his messenger bag to pull it open then moved about to gather what looked fairly healthy and uninfected - seeing as the food would have a nasty, zit looking, thing on the wrapping, can, box, or just on the food in general. Carefully inspecting each thing that wouldn't expire for a while, twisting his wrist to look at it from all angles he would finally slip it in and head a little further into the store.

At one point he'd reached the first-aid section, glancing about and snatching up gauze, disinfectants, bandages, band-aids, and other things in case of emergency. Even snatched up a first-aid kit or three. Nodding to himself as he held one of said kits in his hand Altair turned and began his trek back to where his wounded charge was. Though something caught his attention, it sounded like a muffled screech. Pausing once he was in the refrigerated section he turned around slowly, attempting to pinpoint where the sound was coming from.

It didn't seem to be inside -

That was then he noticed, through a window, a 'Hunter' had swung their claw down on what appeared to be a soldier, sending them flying through said glass wall. The loud '_kresh_' caused Altair to wince at the sight and dropped the first-aid kit to rush over and see if, by chance, the military personnel had survived the brutal hit. If not...he'd have no choice but to take the gun the other had.

No offense, but in a life or death situation oneself was valued above respect for the dead. Sometimes.

The cloud of dust that had formed, which confused the man now that he thought about it, started to clear and revealed that the figure that got tossed through the window had indeed died. _Poor bastard. Probably had a wife and kid waiting for him at home._

Crouching down near the body he began to search and see if the other had any weapons on him, nothing. "...damn." The screech caught his attention once more, causing the brunet to jerk his head up and see that a 'Hunter' was staring at him from atop a building. Its stance one of stating that it was going to pounce and either rip him to pieces or devour him - though both led to the same end. Death. "..."

_Ahda..._ Slowly he pushed himself to stand, eyes still locked onto the beast that let out a feral snarl._ I have to get to Ahda._

That resounding shriek struck his senses, turning sharply on his heel and bolting off to go get the child before another one of these things showed up. There was a high chance that if he'd paused to kill this one there would be another around the corner that would not hesitate to kill the, somewhat, defenseless child. Furrowing his brows Altair bit his lower lip once he heard crashes echo about behind him.

It was following him.

Hazarding a glance over his shoulder he immediately regretted it once he saw that it was indeed following him. Growling inwardly, the tanned male looked forth before picking up the pace, gripping a shelf to assist in his sharp turn.

Another crash. Then, what sounded like, a confused snarl.

Good. This would give him time to grab Ahda and make a break for it. Breathing out from relief once he saw that he was approaching the counter the child was at Altair licked his dry lips, then parted them to call out, "Ahda, come out! Hurry!"

Slowly she crawled out then looked up and past him with a trembling hand pointing behind the hoodie wearing male. Cursing inwardly he realized then that perhaps it had been a bad idea to call out to her when there was a 'Hunter' after his ass.

Veering over his shoulder with wide eyes, Altair's lips parted with a soft curse as the thing pounced in their direction. Towards the child. Looking forth he reached out and pushed off his left foot to also leap at Ahda, though to protect her unlike the other being's intentions.

Wrapping his arms around the screaming girl and slamming his eyes shut Altair grit his teeth once something sharp dug into the fabric and flesh of his right arm. A swing of a claw, tearing and ripping sounds, the scent of blood. Grunting at the pain he opened his eye to see the 'Hunter' raise its clawed hand again, about to finish what it had started instead of playing with its 'food.'

Closing his eyes tightly the male tightened his hold upon the smaller form whilst she grabbed onto the cloth of his hoodie, burying her face into the fabric being soaked in blood, screaming out in horror.

Then what people dub 'the daily miracle' happened.

Another 'Hunter' came flying through the wall and crashed right into the other one, causing both to shriek and growl at one another while they tumbled a ways away. Once up straight one swatted at the other with a high pitched screech of anger, then the other whimpered and growled back.

But the wounded man's attention was focused forth, where the dust had begun to diffuse and reveal a man standing there with clawed hands. The sharpened edges scrapped against one another, as if making them even deadlier than they already were.

Letting out shallow breathes from the pain of his throbbing arm, Altair tightened his hold on Ahda when he recognized the person whom either saved them on accident or just coincidentally. Either way, the brunet's honey-brown spheres stared at the man in front of him.

"...Mercer."

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><p>Looking up through the water<br>I kept sinking down, down, down  
><strong>(Goin' Down, Three Days Grace)<strong>


	3. intimidation

**Assassination's note:** I'm really sorry with how long it took to get this chapter out, and how it might not even be satisfactory to what you might be expecting. But, I swear, I did not intend to seem like I dropped this. I'm going to apologize now if the chapter sucks.

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><p>The BLACKLIGHT paused for a moment, turning his icy gaze to have it rest upon the man whom was now wounded, vaguely recalling where he'd met said male. There's been so many people, BLACKWATCH soldiers, monsters, infected...they all just seemed to blend. Furrowing his brows, Alex returned his attention to the 'Hunters' who seemed to have gotten over their mini argument.<p>

Not that that mattered much, seeing as he had business with one of the bastards. Crouching down, ready to pounce, Alex furrowed his brows as he kept his sights intent on the infected before him. He grit his teeth, eyes zoning in on the one that had been previously chasing the other man.

There. That was the one the virus needed to consume to gather information on where a HIVE could be located. Just to lessen the damned Hunter and infected population and give the military a chance. Though that honestly didn't matter to him, much, but it would at least get rid of some of those bothersome bastards. Now, Alex wasn't targeting a small HIVE, more so like he was after a 'big gun.'

Altair, on the other hand, was fighting to stay concious. Just in case the BLACKLIGHT decided to take another swing at the little girl in his arms, whom he was holding onto tightly, protectively, without a thought about his own wellbeing at the moment in time. He glanced over to the gun he'd dropped somewhere along the way of his mad dash towards Ahda, too far to just reach out his shaky hand and grab it.

Shifting his hand, the brunet placed it atop Ahda's head to keep her from watching the scene that was playing out between the Hunters and the virus.

It was...

Intent on destruction. Proving the simple fact that Alex Mercer was a 'monster' and a 'killing machine.'

He watched as the man dodged a claw, rose his own clawed hand to block the other, turning to have the sharpened edges tear at the warpped flesh that the attacking Hunter possessed, and even thrust his foot forth to attempt to knock the other one away. In what appeared to be annoyance.

Though, what would the human know? Altair didn't have a way to know what the infected man was thinking, no way of knowing if he was safe or even if when one Hunter was dealt with then Mercer might leave them as 'Hunter Chow.' Swallowing thickly, Altair parted his lips to breathe in and out in a labored manner, still trying to stay awake for Ahda's sake.

Not his. The child's.

Alex grit his teeth with furrowed brows as he leapt back right when both monsters struck at the same time, placing a clawed hand upon the cracked tiling while looking up from under his hood to take in the status that both Hunters were in. They appeared to be wearing down, by the looks of it, with that as an upside he pushed off the ground to pounce atop the one that he'd been pursuing. The beast reared its hand back, about to swipe it to knock the BLACKLIGHT away, though the virus clamped his hand onto its face and gripped a bicep.

A small, satisfied, smirk tugged at his lips before trendils slid up from his form. Crushing the skull, the hooded man had the thin thread-like spindles coil around the Hunter and eventually jerked his body back once the being was consumed and flipped back to land on his two feet and let out a soft exhale as images flashed before his mind's eye.

While the virus turned his attention to the other Hunter, Altair grit his teeth as he slowly pushed himself up on his right elbow. His abnormal colored eyes locked onto the gun, flicking towards the standoff before him with a determind look crossing his features when he glanced down on the trembling child. Whom he was holding close, protecting. Yet there was no knowing if Mercer would leave them be, the tanned man reminded himself as he tightened his hold on Ahda.

He tapped her shoulder, glad that she didn't make a sound as she pulled back to peer up at him.

Altair gestured to the register with his chin, watching at she looked over to see where he was indicating. It was almost as if she knew what he was saying as her green hues widened. Immediately she began to shake her head, clinging to the Arabian, closing her eyes as if screaming, "No! No, you might die!" With a slow exhale he moved to place a hand atop both the small ones latched onto his hoodie.

"I'll be back." he whispered, tone soft before looking up to see that the Hunter had been flung into a wall like a simple toy. Gnawing his lower lip, Altair gently removed Ahda's hands, soon to then quickly relocate her to under the counter.

Altair slowly moved to stand, clapping a hand over his wound, quickly making his way over to the gun he'd dropped. He reached out for it, eyes widening once he noticed, out of the corner of his eye, the Hunter lunging towards him. Its clawed hand extended back, swinging forth in an attempt to swat the young man like a fly. Quickly the brunet dove down, rolling and snatching the handgun in the process.

Wait...

If the Hunter had gotten past the BLACKLIGHT -

A roar rang out behind the tanned male. A pained one.

Grunting as he laid on his side, Altair peered up to see that Alex was standing there, blood dripping from his clawed hands. This had the wounded man pause, staring at the other man as if he'd grown two heads. Was this his second 'daily miracle' or did the 'number one terrorist' actually care?

No. That was nonsense. It was _ridiculous_. Altair tightened his hold on the gun as his golden orbs turned over to Ahda.

She was curled up into a ball, arms wrapped around her knees to hide herself further. _Good girl._ he praised silently before slowly getting himself to sit up.

Fuck. His arm was killing him. Sure, he had gotten hurt by a few Hunters before but this was just terrible. Closing his right eye, Altair grit his teeth. No...he couldn't pass out now, if he was determined enough not to before then he couldn't now. Not when he was still under threat of assault. Not while Ahda was still in danger. He soon bit the inside of his cheek harshly.

Lifting his left hand, which held the firearm, the tanned man pointed it towards the beast that glanced between he and the virus. As if contemplating which was the lesser of two evils. Wondering which one would be an easier target.

Altair scoffed on the inside. At least they were smart enough to choose whether to flee or risk their lives.

He was rather taken off-guard when the monster had stopped its motions, head jerking to the side almost like a child whose mother called for them. His eyes widened when it looked back at them, lips parting with an ear-splitting screech before it took off. Altair almost let out a relieved breath.

Almost.

The Arabian glanced over to Alex, whom was standing there. He watched with his stomach doing a nasty flip as he watched the claws flex, as the BLACKLIGHT turned to face him and locked blue with honey. Altair nearly cursed when he shifted away, pressing his hand against the tiled flooring with narrowed eyes, jaw clenching as his muscles tensed. He wondered if the other man noticed the little girl, if he was going to try and harm her again.

Another step had been taken, another twitch in his muscles.

Telling him that he couldn't possibly chase this man off like before.

Telling him he needed to get up, that he needed to run. That he needed to get Ahda out of here -

Altair's breath caught in his chest once he realized just how close Mercer had gotten while his mind had raced. The brunet felt his hand tighten its hold on his weapon, as if reassuring him that he had other options. Though limited in weapons, he at least had this. Although he figured it would be a waste of bullets, he'd seen how the man before him had taken down those monsters.

How the man, whom was once human, flung them around like they were toys.

A claw raising caught his attention, jerking his head back to look up at the face of New York's terror.


	4. red devil

**Assassination's note: **I'm _really _sorry that the chapter's so short. Really, really sorry. But I'll try my hardest to make the next chapter longer than what this is without any 'author's notes'. Also, I apologize if Altair seems like a sissy and TOTALLY OOC...but, let's be honest here...if you were face-to-face with Alex Mercer would you seriously be able to stand your ground entirely? Especially if you're wounded and keeping an eye on a child as well? Aaaaand taking into account that in the game guns seem to do jack against Alex...? Yeah. I...would be_ _terrified_._

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><p><em>Shit. No, no no - fuck!<em> Golden spheres widened, Altair scooting back once more as his heart began to beat rapidly. _Fuck!_

Fear. He was afraid. The brunet's jaw clenched, swallowing thickly as his chest tightened ever-so-tight, his hand trembling on the gun. Here he was, face-to-face with Alex Mercer who was armed to the teeth. Literally. It made him wonder how he'd had the balls to shoot this man earlier, how he'd had enough courage - or stupidity - to threaten him. All Altair had to back him up were _empty_ threats, he couldn't wound something that wasn't human.

_I -_ He noticed Ahda holding onto the knife he'd given her. How her hands were trembling, just barely holding onto the weapon. _Ahda...no, stay there._

It was then that Altair felt his eyes feel as if they were burning, perhaps with tears. He wasn't sure but they just _burned_. The world soon became a swirl of grey, white and black, a blob of red in Alex's spot. He felt as if he were hyperventilating, eyes darting from Ahda back to the man before him, the red 'monster' coming closer and claw still raised before Altair and about to come down -

_No!_

Next thing the brunet knew was that there had been a gunshot and that the burning sensation had passed. Along with the fact that the BLACKLIGHT was on a knee whilst his hands were clapped over his other one.

Altair swallowed thickly, blinking once he'd realized his gun was raised and aiming at the other's knee. Before he could even question himself as to when he'd fired, the hoodied man quickly moved to stand and ran past Mercer, pleased when he watched Ahda crawl out from her hiding spot so he could simply snatch her up and make a break for it. Which is exactly what he did.

Scooping the tyke up into his arms, the panting male cast a quick glance over his shoulder to see that the virus was still down. He knew he didn't have the time to stand here and marvel as Mercer simply removed the bullet with a snarl. Turning his attention forth, Ahda held securely in his arms, Altair made a break for it. The tanned man ran as fast and as far away as he could, not even bothering to stop even when his muscles pleaded with him, begged him to stop and take a breather. His lungs were burning, crying out desperately for more air than he was taking in.

No. He had to find someplace to hide. Someplace where they would be safe and be able to lick their wounds and rest for a while.

Who knew what Zeus would do if he got his hands or claws into them. Most likely tear Altair to shreds and the girl - he couldn't bear to fathom the thought of what Alex would do to her.

* * *

><p>Altair was sitting by a window, staring out into the streets with half-lidded eyes.<p>

He didn't know how far or how long he'd ran, but what he did know was that it was nearing the nighttime. When the worst beings would stalk the streets and when the military would attempt to reclaim an area from the infected.

Letting out a huff of air, the man ran his fingers through his hair. Golden irises surveyed the area, watching as soldiers were scouring the place, shooting down whatever came running at them. He saw a few infected take down what he assumed was a rookie who didn't know his way around the 'shoot first, ask later' motto that had come to take place recently.

Slowly the man turned his attention to Ahda, whom was laying atop a rickety mattress and curled up under Altair's hoodie. Her calf had been bandaged hours previous, she even insisted on helping him disinfect and wrap up his right arm's injury. It had been rather endearing at how she'd persisted, though without saying a word.

Altair returned his attention out the window, chin resting in his left hand's palm. He'd set his gun aside, within reach, an hour earlier once he'd finally decided to relax a tad. That didn't mean he still wasn't on guard or on full alert. After all, he'd shot the number one enemy of Manhattan -_ Well, aside from Greene but let's be honest...she's in hiding,_ he corrected. That was besides the fact though.

Mercer hadn't come after him. It was unsettling and chilled Altair to the bone because the virus could be anywhere. Just watching and waiting -

_Why the hell am I so worried about?_ He lowered his face, rubbing it with his hand. _...yeah, I'm worried but...this is just ridiculous._ And what happened in the convenience store was still bothering him. He couldn't recall having eye problems, at least not to that much of a degree that the world would dull and only red being the only color there.

Altair lifted his head, taking note of how the room had become considerable darker than before. He didn't want to risk turning a light on in case the infected decided to go indoors at this moment. True, he'd run into some in the morning most days but he just couldn't figure out when in the Hell they concluded it time to head inside buildings to seek out survivors.

It was a little sad that the soldiers didn't bother to come inside to search, or the police. They had before when it was a minor issue with infected, maybe eventually they just figured the 'normal' ones would make their way to them instead.

Closing his eyes, the brunet leaned his temple against the cool glass, it was calming in an odd way. His heated skin against the glass was a nice contrast, Altair felt soothed by it, like a child holding onto their baby blanket because it made the monsters go away. Lips parted to breathe in and out slowly, ears straining to hear if the door had been busted in.

Nothing.

He took a few more breaths before being consumed by sleep.

* * *

><p>He was standing in a courtyard of sorts. There was a crowd of people behind him and his arms were being held by a pair of hands on each side. It was hot, the sun beating down on his back while a man who looked like he was in his eighties spoke to him in a harsh manner. Yet, even though he was being scolded, he couldn't help but feel arrogant and rebellious.<p>

It was odd because he didn't know where he was, all he knew was that the man before him was dressed in clothes that weren't of his time - well, maybe thousands of years ago but still.

"I am sorry. Truly, I am...but I cannot abide a traitor." The older man had reached into his robes, a small dagger within his grasp when he pulled his hand out.

Slight panic rose within the depths of his chest, struggling a bit to get out of the other men's hold, all the while saying, "I am not a traitor."

"Your negligence says otherwise," The man stepped closer, "and so you leave me no choice." He glanced down at the blade, both of them did. One was filled with what seemed like reluctance and the other was of disbelief. They both looked up at the same time, locking eyes.

This was when he noticed that the elder had only one true eye, the other perhaps glass for a replacement, a scar running over said left eye. Though he could only take notice of this for a moment, seeing that the other truly intended to stab him. Kill him. His stomach twisted into an uncomfortable knot, feeling bile rise in his throat only to swallow it down and feel it burn.

He was going to die.

"Peace be upon you Altair."

The dagger was then sunk into his abdomen, in a vital spot. Pain coursed through his insides, eyes widening as his lips parted with a grunt before his legs started to give out underneath him. The only things supporting him, keeping him on his feet, were the two men keeping a tight grip on his arm. His lips remained parted, low breaths soon fading into nothing as his eyes fell shut.

Darkness and death welcoming him into its embrace.

* * *

><p>Golden spheres snapped open, his right hand immediately going to the site that had been stabbed, his form hunched over with heavy pants. Altair's fingers curled, trembling against his shirt as he stared down at the ground with a stunned and sickened expression. He slowly looked down at his hand once he'd pulled it back from his stomach, expecting to see blood but relieved when he didn't.<p>

It was then that he looked to the window, staring at his reflection that stared back.

He hated the sight he was greeted with.

A terrified man, one who was shaken to the core by a simple, random, nonsense dream. Swallowing thickly, Altair then glared at his mirror image, raising his left hand to place it over the window. No, he was not this weak. He was stronger than this. There was no need to let a dream get to him. Especially not when he had a little girl to look after.

But the old man in his dream said his name...

Altair looked over at Ahda, his eyes halfway shut before looking down on his right arm, the bandages soaked in crimson._ It's nothing to worry about,_ he assured himself, _nothing to worry about at all._


	5. home-free

It was the middle of the day, the sun beating down and trying to get through the thick fog that began to float through the area, the rotten stench of decaying corpses floating along with the breeze. A tiny hand was clasped in a larger one, squeezed gently in reassurance as the pair made their way down the street and towards yet another store.

Ahda had been able to sleep well, not once having woken until Altair had to nudge her awake. She had changed into a pair of jeans and a white shirt that was a tad too big on her small frame. Both had bathed, seeing as the oppertunity was prime, and ate their fill of what they could find in the house. Truth be told, Altair was glad she'd gotten a good night's rest, far better than he did.

The dreams hadn't stopped after he'd been stabbed in them, no. Rather they continued. A man named Malik talking to him with such malice in his tone, as if hating the fact that he was alive or lived through it. He wasn't able to tell which at the time.

Shaking his head to rid himself of the thought, Altair turned his attention to the youth. She was a bit wobbly but could still walk and her leg had been rebandaged right when she'd woken up. He supposed that it was a good thing he shoved as much medical equipment as he could in his messenger bag the day before, being able to store some away for a later date. Though, the man was worried, Ahda had been more dazed than before. She would just look off into the distance at random times, slowing her pace, an expression that displayed how exhausted she must be mentally.

He didn't know what to make of this. Not at all.

The young girl's hand loosened its hold on his, this causing the brunet to blink. "Ahda?" His voice was soft, trying to bring her back from whatever trance she'd fallen into. "Hey..." Altair tightened his hold.

Relief washed over him when Ahda returned his hold, reaching her other hand up to place it atop his.

The relief vanished immediately once he noticed how her hand trembled, nails biting into his skin. A shade of purple had begun to manifest.

* * *

><p>The rest of the afternoon had passed with only minor inconveniences, a few infected here, a few there. Nothing much. Altair had managed to collect a decent amount of ammunition and whatever else wasn't raided weeks before, surprisingly there was a fully functional shotgun left behind the register. Along with a bloodied arm torn off of a man's body that was nowhere to be found.<p>

With the shotgun strapped to his back, bag filled to its maximum capacity, holding Ahda up against his side with his left arm and the child holding onto him tightly, the two made their way back to the man's home. He chuckled at the passing thought of the girl being a monkey, a baby who clung to their parent and refused to let go - well, Altair couldn't really see himself as a father figure. He doubted he'd have the skills to raise a child. At least, not on his own.

Altair briefly remembered a day when he and Maria had talked about their future like every couple has done. They talked about children, moving away from New York and to the country side. To live a simple life.

His jaw clenched at the memory, his mask slipping off to reveal how much he missed his girlfriend. Closing his eyes halfway, Altair lead them down the street that was barren of, basically, everything that was human or is human. Breathing in slowly, the brunet glanced from side to side every now and again as he tightened his hold on Ahda. Reassuring her that all was well once again. That there was _nothing_ to be afraid of.

There had been no trace of the military or Mercer, only infected.

He peered over his shoulder to check and be sure that there would be no surprise attack then returned his attention forth. It made his stomach tie into an uncomfortable knot when there was nothing around to attack them. Nothing to deter them from their destination, which made Altair both grateful and on edge. There was no way that there could be infected stumbling about but none trying to attack them.

Unless the military had cleared out most of them. _Most...but not all._

Altair tisked, cursing softly, while turning his head away from the dozing child. Even if the blasted soldiers had managed to relocate a BASE here, there was no way in Hell it would last long enough with Zeus on the run. They couldn't even take the man down, couldn't capture him, subdue him. No. The man was a 'monster,' by all definitions of the word.

A demon. A curse.

Or maybe, just maybe, he was -

No. He shook his head, it was ridiculous to ponder on such things. Useless. Returning his attention to the dark haired girl, Altair felt his shoulders fall lax. He couldn't think such, especially when he had someone to take care of, whom was injured and couldn't defend themselves.

The man rose his gaze, noticing that they were a few blocks away from his home. This had him relax even more but didn't loosen his hold on the tyke. It wouldn't do if something decided to attack them right then and there, managing to take him off-guard and drop Ahda in the fall. Altair reached for his gun, wincing at the tug the dried blood had done to his skin. It still hurt but he knew that overtime the pain would lessen, that the wound would heal.

He looked up once again.

Just a few more feet and they'd be 'home-free.'

* * *

><p>Expensive black dress shoes tapped the ground below, the narrow halls echoing each step as the owner of said dress shoes made their way towards the elevator. There were other people following the man, attired in expensive suits, bodyguards if one were to guess due to how there were pistols strapped to their hips. Not to mention their posture was posed as if to intimidate any who laid eyes on them.<p>

They surrounded a man in a white lab coat, who's face displayed how he was all business. No jokes allowed.

He was carrying something, tucked under his left arm, and it looked rather worn and old. The object looked as if it was meant to be strapped to someone's forearm, fastened tightly least the owner want to lose it, the armor-of-sorts was a dusty blue, almost as if the color had faded over time. It didn't even look as if the bracer belonged in this time. Like it was out of place.

Men dressed in camouflage hustled on past the group as if they didn't exist, or they were simply ignoring them. A man some distance off was barking orders, something about there being a Zeus sighting, that the men hurry their asses unless they wanted clean up duty. Not that it mattered to the man as he turned a corner, heading into a room that displayed a large map of Manhattan and pins pegged into the board in random areas.

Red pegs, indicating where a major infested site was.

The man at the desk rose his head to see who had entered, raising to stand at his full height a mere second later. "We didn't expect you to come so soon."

"I had an email sent to announce my arrival," was the response before both turned their attention to the bracer. The man holding it took it into his left hand to place it atop the oak desk once he stood before it. "I do hope that you've thought over and considered our offer."

There was a moment of silence as the other looked over the object set before him, soon sitting down with his chin resting atop his linked fingers, brows knitted together.

"We have, actually. To be honest..." he trailed off, leaning back in his seat as he began to rub his chin thoughtfully. "...I am rather skeptical as to what you've offered in return for this deed. Along with the fact that there are so many areas to scope out for just _one_ man."

The man dressed in the lab coat crossed his arms behind his back, eyes narrowed slightly. "This is no mere man, I assure you. Your problem will only worsen if he remains here."

A sigh broke through, the camouflage dressed man slumping forth. "Very well, we will dispatch a team to seek him out. Though, I must know: what are your conditions on his capture?"

The smirk crossing the man's lips spoke more than what he'd said when he parted his lips to respond.

* * *

><p><strong>Assassination's note: <strong>I know that the ending part might be confusing and that you might already know who's talking to who but...I didn't want to list names. Not yet anyway.**  
><strong>


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